


You Didn't Even Regenerate

by super_powerful_queen_slayyna



Series: Stay With Me [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Episode: s04e13 Journey's End, F/M, Ficandchips, First Time, Flirting, Fluff and Smut, Introspection, Light Angst, Pete's World (Doctor Who), Post-Episode: s04e13 Journey's End, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:47:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26221354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/super_powerful_queen_slayyna/pseuds/super_powerful_queen_slayyna
Summary: “Whole universe out there and you wanted to hibernate,” he tutted.“Well, I’ve got news for you, Doctor, you’re human now. You’re soon going to be ‘hibernating’ as much as the rest of us. Bet you’ll be even worse than me in the mornings,” Rose poked his chest as she taunted him.The Doctor’s hand flew up to pin her hand to his chest, using it as leverage to pull her closer as he leaned in; he’d also missed holding her hand. “Perhaps, but you’ll be there to sort me out, won’t you?”Or my take on what happened after we left our beloved characters on that beach.
Relationships: Metacrisis Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Stay With Me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904362
Comments: 41
Kudos: 88





	You Didn't Even Regenerate

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this took a fuckton of time.
> 
> A special thanks to my alphas [madquerade](https://madquerade.tumblr.com/) and [Isolus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isolus_girl/pseuds/Isolus_girl) who helped me overcome my writer's block that plagued me half way through writing this monstrosity.
> 
> And of course, my betas [Jess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessJesstheBest) and [Banshee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Banshee1013/pseuds/Banshee1013) who helped me straighten the mess up.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

An arm snaked around Rose’s waist from her left, and a hand grabbed hers from the right as the TARDIS lurched to a stop, sending everyone off-kilter. She held onto both limbs instinctively and righted herself, looking around to check that everyone else was alright. Squeezing her hand, the Doctor to her right flashed her a smile and released her. The Doctor in blue was… not that quick to let go. Rose bit her lip at his fingers trailing across her back, his hands retreating to his trouser pockets once he’d reached the other side of her waist. _Whoa_ , apparently the extended time spent apart had amplified the effect of the Doctor’s touch tenfold. She tried to suppress the subsequent shiver.

“Right then! Sarah Jane Smith, after you.”

“Well, goodbye everyone. It was wonderful saving the universe with you. I would stay longer but I have to make sure my son is alright,” she smiled.

Rose joined in the chorus of “Goodbye!” and “Good luck!” that followed her and the Doctor out the door. After the door shut, she turned to face the man next to her and leaned back against the console, smiling at him. He returned it with a grin of his own.

“So, universe saved, everyone alive, same old, same old?”

“Just another day for Rose Tyler being absolutely brilliant.”

Rose felt warm at that comment. She didn’t know what to make of him. He looked and sounded (mostly) like the Doctor. He even appeared to have the same memories and knowledge as the Doctor, Rose thought, remembering how he joined Donna and the Doctor up at the controls. His grin was _certainly_ as infectious as the Doctor’s.

“So, if you’re the Doctor, how come you sound like Donna sometimes?”

“Ah. Picked up some of her voice and mannerisms I think, when she touched the hand. Look at this hand, love the hand.” He wiggled his fingers, eliciting a chuckle out of her.

“So you kind of grew because of her, yeah? Does that make you like her son?”

“I am _not_ \- that’s not how - it was an instantaneous biological _metacrisis_ , Rose,” he sputtered, “At best, you could say that makes me her twin if you want to be reductive in that way. I’m a product in the wake of a regeneration cycle like any other -” he halted his impending rant when he caught the teasing look on Rose’s face. “Rose Tyler, that is not funny,” he pouted.

She grinned broadly.

“Still, could’ve been worse,” he continued, “Jack could’ve triggered my _biological metacrisis_ -” Rose stuck out her tongue at his raised eyebrows, “ - and where would that have left me?”

“Flirting with anyone and everyone in sight?”

“Nah, just you.”

Rose’s stomach swooped at that. She couldn’t help but stare as the Doctor flushed and averted his eyes. Although, he didn’t seem to regret saying it, indicated by the slight smile on his face. She changed the subject to save them from potential awkwardness.

“How is he still alive?”

“How’d you mean?”

“Well, that Dalek killed him, right? And they must have deposited him somewhere for him to get a chance to escape without the Daleks noticing if he was still alive.”

The confusion cleared from his features. “Ah, I didn’t know that I’m afraid. My memories stop at regeneration and start again once I was created in the TARDIS.”

“Oh.”

“And Jack survived because of you.”

“What?”

The Doctor gave her a small smile. “Back on that Game Station, when you had the Time Vortex running through you, you brought him back to life. But, you couldn’t control it, you brought him back forever.”

Rose paused for a moment, taking the new information in.

And then it clicked.

_That’s the curse of the Time Lords._

“So, he can never die?” she asked, distraught. _Oh no, what had she done?_

Before the Doctor could reply, another voice piped up. “Rose, it’s not your fault.”

Rose turned to see Jack walking up to them with Martha a step behind. Tears prickled in her eyes at the sight of him. “But I - ”

Jack cut her off with a hug. Closing her eyes, she pressed her face into his chest, taking comfort in his reassurance and the kiss to her forehead. God, her emotions were all over the place. The long day was taking its toll on her.

He pulled back, but she still kept her eyes closed. “Hey, hey, hey - look at me. Rose.”

She reluctantly opened her eyes. Jack smiled at her, bringing his hands up to frame her face and brushing off a stray teardrop with his thumb.

“It’s okay. I’ve come to terms with it, more or less,” he shrugged, “but don’t you dare blame yourself, okay? You saved me that day.” He grinned down at her, “You saved the universe.”

“Just another day for Rose Tyler,” the Doctor added, winking at her.

“Besides,” Jack continued, taking a step back, his grin saucy now, “I have a lot more time on my hands now to have sex with all kinds of species.” Rose cheered up a little at his words, her lips quirking upwards. The Doctor and Martha just rolled their eyes at each other.

“More’s the pity,” Martha joked.

Rose laughed.

“Hey!” Jack protested, indignantly spreading his limbs. “ _Anyway_ , we gotta get going. I’m sure Torchwood is a mess and UNIT will be scrambling right about now. They never were competent by themselves,” he shot back at Martha.

“Oh, with Martha at the helm, they’ll be back on their feet in no time, isn’t that right, Martha?” the Doctor interrupted when she opened her mouth to retort.

“That’s right, Doctor,” Martha posited.

Jack straightened up in a soldier’s salute. “Doctor. Rose.” He winked at her. Rose giggled at him.

The Doctor returned with a two-finger salute. “Captain.” He faced Martha who had raised her own. “Doctor Martha Jones,” he finished.

Martha turned to Rose. “It’s great to finally meet you, Rose. I wish I’d gotten to know you better.” She held out her hand.

Something in her voice told Rose that there was something deeper to it than just politeness. She shook the outstretched hand, somehow feeling this was an olive branch of sorts. “You too, Martha. From what I’ve seen, you’re really good, and you definitely know how to put him in his place,” she inclined her head towards the Doctor.

Jack and the Doctor shared a look. “Oh yeah, Martha Jones is a force of nature not to be trifled with,” Jack asserted, with the Doctor nodding in agreement.

“Good luck,” Martha wished, dropping her hand.

“And you,” Rose smiled.

“See ya, Doc. And you remember what I told you, Rose!” were Jack’s parting words as they disappeared through the entrance of the TARDIS.

“Feel better?” the Doctor inquired.

“S’pose.”

There was a beat of silence as Rose mulled over Jack’s words, watching as the man in front of her scuffed his feet against the grating. She was pulled from her thoughts when the Doctor acknowledged Mickey, who was approaching them.

“Oh, here comes trouble. Mickey!”

“Well, I’m off.”

“What? Where are you going?” Rose asked, perplexed.

“I don’t want to go back, Rose,” he looked at her soberly. Rose understood then. He’d taken his grandmother’s death particularly hard. Still…

“What about Torchwood an’ everything?”

“Oh, Jake’s got it handled, don’t worry. But, time for me to move on.” He paused, smiling softly, “I’m gonna miss you.”

She stepped forward and wrapped him in a tight hug. “Me too.”

When she released him, he turned towards the Doctor. “Take care of her for me, yeah?”

The Doctor held out his hand, giving Mickey a firm handshake and a pat on the cheek. “Good luck, Mickey Smith.”

Mickey waved behind him as he left.

“I’m sorry,” the Doctor said once they were alone.

Rose looked up at him, heaving a sad sigh. “No, it’s okay, his gran passed away and he hasn’t been the same since. A fresh start’ll do him good.” She slumped back against the console, extremely tired.

She only registered that the other Doctor had returned when he spoke. “Just time for one last trip. Dårlig Ulv Stranden. Better known as…”

* * *

The Doctor doesn’t say this a lot, but _thank heaven_ for Jackie. She had a way to stop awkwardness in its tracks when she wanted to.

“Well, I don’t know ‘bout you lot, but I’m not stayin’ on this godforsaken beach a minute more than I need to. No bloody service! How am I meant to call your father? The nearest hotel is about 20 minutes from here though, I think it’ll work there. Tell you what, I’m glad I decided to bring my purse before I went jumping after you. Else we’d be stranded here till tomorrow before Pete can get to us. I wonder if they’ll accept British cards here, I know they did last time but you never know, a lot can change in three years. Well, come on! Don’t just stand there! I’ll keep trying the phone on the way, maybe it’ll pick up something before we get there.”

With that, she started towards the road that they could see on the far end of the beach. He smiled a little at her usual rambling, not realising until now the extent to which he’d missed her.

“We’d better follow her before she gets on us about catching a cold because we’re just in jackets and not a coat like her,” Rose said softly, heeding her own advice.

She didn’t let go of his hand.

It was such a small thing but the ridiculous amount of happiness that crept through him startled a suppressed chuckle out of him. Oh these human hormones are going to be a problem, aren’t they? He bit the inside of his lip, stifling his grin.

He prayed to every deity he didn’t believe in, that this meant Rose had accepted him. Just a bit if not completely. Yet.

And he knew a fair amount of deities. Whether they existed in this universe or not was another thing.

They walked in silence, Jackie a few meters ahead of them, moving her phone around in the air. But other than the occasional mutter that came faintly their way, no other words were spoken. The Doctor wasn’t sure he _wanted_ to speak, a peek at Rose confirming from the way her eyes were glazed over, that she was indeed lost in her thoughts. Yeah, he resigned himself to a quiet walk.

The wind died down when they turned to the road but it was still nippy enough that he stuck the hand not currently stroking Rose’s thumb into his pocket. _That hand is warm enough_ , he told himself, _no use in moving it. None at all._

Or he could warm it up himself. How much of his body could he still control? He was still part Time Lord - had to be if he still had his 904 years worth of memory, and telepathic abilities _seemed_ to be in place, although he wouldn’t have anything to test its limits against until the TARDIS was fully grown - but was that the extent of it?

Perhaps something small - increasing his blood pressure?

He furrowed his brow in concentration but after a full minute, the only reaction he got was his heart leaping slightly at the same time Rose stepped closer to him to avoid a pothole in her path. That couldn’t be a coincidence.

He sighed inwardly. He’d always been very reactive to her proximity and touch, his human body appeared to be all the more so.

But that was the thing now wasn’t it? He’s going to get cold now. Cold, warm, hungry, sleepy, sweaty, tired, sick, aroused -

His eyes widened, quickly jumping off _that_ train of thought.

Time to add erratic thoughts to the list.

_It wasn’t that out of place, Spaceman._

_Thanks, Earth Girl, not right now._

His breath caught in his chest.

_Donna..._

He closed his eyes for a second, swallowing hard, imagining what his other self likely had to do. He hoped he had the presence of mind to put in an inbuilt layer of protection after -

His stomach clenched. He thought he could detect a hint of pity in the whirlwind of emotions going through him. And hope. Hope that someone would come crashing into that Doctor’s life (like people usually do), even if he wasn’t going to let them stay, someone who would invite him to something like… a Christmas dinner, so he wouldn’t be alone. Just for a bit.

Jackie’s voice floating towards them broke them out of their respective stupors. “Pete? Pete! Can you hear me? We’re in bloody Norway again, you need to send the zeppelin. Pete? Pe - fuckin’ hell, I bet it’s because I’m on O2 instead of EE. Thank God the hotel is right over this hill. Speed up you two! Blimey, It’s almost like you want to catch a cold, wearing only those thin jackets.”

Under different circumstances, Rose and the Doctor would’ve burst out laughing. But the glance at each other and consequent faint chuckles were just as good after a day filled with emotional highs and lows.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

“Yeah, ‘course. You?”

“Only you seemed a bit sad just then.”

The Doctor didn’t miss the deflection.

“Oh. I was ah, thinking about Donna.”

Rose’s expression turned worried. “Why? Is she not okay?”

“No she’s - well, yes but it's complicated, she - ” the Doctor sighed, looking down at Rose woefully, “I’ll tell you about it later. Promise.” Rose didn’t need more burden right now. Not before he was sure she’d processed everything.

She simply nodded.

“How are you dealing with everything? I know this isn’t exactly what you wanted or anticipated to happen when I’m sure you tried really hard to get back to that universe. You probably envisioned yourself back on the TARDIS as soon the whole ‘end of the universe’ thing had been dealt with, but it’s going to take at least five years for this TARDIS coral to grow into a full-fledged one. And I know _I’m_ not what, or rather who, you expected to end up with - ”

His rambling came to an abrupt stop when Rose intertwined their fingers. He looked down at her.

“You are. Right now, I’m trying to process everything. I feel numb and all kinds of emotions at the same time. I reckon I haven't eaten anything in the last 20 hours and my feet are killin’ me. I just _know_ my head’s gonna ache soon. I want my bed.” She paused, taking a deep breath to stop feeling like a whining kid. Meeting his eyes, she continued more calmly, “But among all that, I’m holding on to the one thing I know for sure. I am glad you’re here with me,” she smiled.

_Oh, Rose Tyler._

He would kiss her if it weren’t for the fact that they were about to enter the hotel. And if he didn’t have trouble believing he can do that now.

The Doctor sat in the lobby while he waited for Jackie to finish booking rooms for the night. His hand twitched at his side, empty and cold. Rose had shot off to the loo immediately after she spotted the sign. He closed his eyes, replaying the moment her hold on him had tightened before she let go.

“Right, here, this is for you and Rose. Second floor. I’m two doors down.” Jackie handed him the key card.

“Are you sure she’d want to share with me?” he questioned, accepting the card anyway.

Jackie snorted. “She spent two years using that horrible Cannon thing to get back to you. What makes you think she’d stay away now that she finally has you? And look at you! She hasn’t been gone for more than a minute and you’re missing her already. Yes, I’m sure she’ll want to share with you.”

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck, hating how right she was. He changed the subject. “Cannon?”

“It’s that yellow button teleport thing we saw in Torchwood in that universe, d’you remember? Mickey, Pete and Rose. All I heard from them for the last two years was ‘Dimension Cannon this’ and ‘Dimension Cannon that’. Me an’ Mickey’s Gran used to hide away in the kitchen, escaping all that, talking for hours. Brought Tony with us sometimes. She was his godmother y’know. Doubt Tony will even remember her. Oh, she was a good woman. I’m going to miss her.” Jackie took a moment, mourning her best friend. “I can’t tell you how happy I am the dimension-hopping is over with. Now, come on, I’m famished and I know Rose will be too. They told me it’s a buffet dinner.” She rolled his eyes at his uncertainty, “Rose will find us fine, you muppet. It’s just down the hall. Come on! I’m hungry.”

It wasn’t so much Rose he was worried about, but rather himself. More specifically, how red in the face he will go from Jackie’s comments before Rose gets there. But he followed her diligently into the dining room.

By the time Rose appeared, they had settled in the far corner, feasting on their plates piled with a generous amount. The Doctor hadn’t realised that he was starving and found himself echoing Jackie’s sighs of relief at the hot food. Rose sat next to him with her own plate as Jackie whipped out her phone to try again now that they had better signal. He took in Rose’s features as she hung her jacket on the chair and turned to dive into the food. She looked more refreshed, having splashed her face with water, the tiredness abated. He grinned at her around his fork when she peeked at him. Despite the situation, he felt good. Then again, Rose Tyler had always had that effect on him.

“Pete! Perfect. Yeah, in Norway; we’re in the same hotel we stayed in the last time. Rose and the Doctor are with me; Mickey stayed behind. No, no the TARDIS isn’t with us, why’d you reckon I’m asking you to send a zeppelin? Well I don’t know, do I? He said he’s part human now because of some metacrisis whatsits. You’ll have to ask him. All I know is that he’s still a right git.”

Rose smirked at the Doctor’s offended “Oi!”

“How’s Tony? That’s good. Don’t forget to pack his teddy, he’ll go mental without it for that long on the zeppelin. Well, it doesn’t hurt to remind you, does it?” Jackie handed the phone to Rose before Pete could reply.

“Hi, Dad. ‘m alright. Yeah, Mickey’s in that universe now, said he wanted to move on. The walls are closed permanently now, we can’t go back.” The Doctor didn’t know what to make of her neutral tone.

“No, no, he didn’t _become_ human. It’s another version but it’s still him. Here, talk to him, he’ll tell it better.”

The Doctor took the phone handed to him. “Pete Tyler!”

_“Well, you certainly sound the same. What’s this then, about you being human and not having your TARDIS?”_

“Instantaneous biological metacrisis. I don’t know if Rose told you about my regeneration ability, but that regeneration energy was poured into my hand - it was cut off during a fight on Christmas Day, long story - and I grew out of that when Donna Noble touched it.” His heart twisted a little at the mention of her.

_“Yes, she tried explaining it to me, although I’m not sure I’ll fully understand unless I see it. So... there’s two of you?”_

“Oh, I’m afraid you won’t be seeing me regenerate. While I’ve retained my Time Lord brain and memories, I’m part human. I’ve only got one life,” he winked at Rose, “but yes, there’s two of me. We were ah, dropped off, so to speak, on that beach before the TARDIS left with them. I can make one of my own actually - ” he reached inside his pocket to retrieve the coral in his pocket, tossing it into the air, “ - but it’s going to take time.”

There was a gap in the conversation as Pete took it all in. _“I’m sure we can iron out the details once everyone is back and settled. But, I am glad Rose’s... endeavours have proved fruitful.”_

“Me too,” he smiled slightly in her direction.

Jackie took over. “Do you want us to come to the airfield or will you send a car? Good. Ring, when you land. Give my love to Tony. Bye, love.”

Silence fell, the group grateful to finally have a moment to slow down and simply _be_ , not having to worry about being in a state of constant high alert to fend off the next threat that came their way. They could relieve their minds of the pressure to keep them physically safe so that it can process the near onslaught of information they received over the last few adrenalized hours.

“You know,” Jackie drawled, never one to stay voiceless for long but not wanting to jostle the calm atmosphere, “you need a proper name now if you’re going to live here like a human.” The Doctor grimaced. He didn’t mind using an alias temporarily for the sake of going undercover but as an official identity? He pouted at Rose, who simply chuckled. “Oi, don’t look at her like that. You’re going to need official documentation like Pete did for Rose when we came here. I suppose you can be a ‘Doctor’, but Doctor what? You’ll be a Tyler once you two get married, but until then?”

They choked - Rose on her food and the Doctor on his drink. He didn’t know what shocked him more, the matter-of-fact way she claimed they’d get married or that he’d take on the Tyler name (he would, without hesitation, but _that’s not the point_ ).

 _“Mum!”_ Rose protested once she got her coughing under control, her bright red face mirroring the sauce on her plate. She didn’t need to check to know the Doctor was in the same state.

“What? You know it’s true, there’s no point in tryin’ to hide it.”

“I think I’ll go by ‘John Smith’ or something like I usually do,” the Doctor mumbled, steadfastly ignoring the last part of Jackie’s little declaration. He may or may not have had similar thoughts, what with his massive Time Lord brain being capable of it, but that doesn’t mean he could just assume that it was something Rose would want. He didn’t even know where they stood right now, let alone the future.

Jackie raised her eyebrow, skeptically, but didn’t comment further on it. “I suppose you’ll need clothes as well. Do you ever wear anything other than that suit? I’m surprised you have one in a different colour, even if it’s them bloody pinstripes. I don’t know how you don’t get tired of the same outfit. Well anyway, you can’t only wear suits now. Can you imagine, a suit in the British summer? You’ll boil to death! We’ll have to get you some jeans and shorts and stuff.”

Rose jumped to rescue him at his increasingly unnerved expression. “Mum, leave him be. We’ll sort it once we get back.”

“If you say so,” Jackie huffed. “Which reminds me, here, take this,” she fished out her purse, retrieving her phone before sliding it across the table to Rose. “In case you want to buy something to sleep in. Receptionist said they don’t have much but some branded sweatshirts and things.” The Doctor wasn’t completely sure because of the angle, but he could’ve sworn there was an indignant look in her eye. But, Rose accepted the purse quietly so he didn’t give it much thought.

Rose opened it to grab some money, but Jackie shook her head. “What about you?”

“Nah, I’ll be alright with the dressing gown. ‘Sides, once I’m done here, I want a long bath and not the pair of you knocking on my door ‘cause you need more money.”

Rose sighed, exasperated, but pocketed the purse nonetheless.

With a final scrape of her fork on the plate, Jackie sat back and sighed. “Well, that’s me. Don’t stay up too late, the car will be ‘round to pick us up in the morning and I don’t want to be the one to drag you kickin’ and screamin’.” And on that pleasant note, she left. Although, she did ruffle his hair affectionately on the way.

“I’m twenty-four,” Rose complained, “I don’t need to be dragged out of bed like a child.”

The Doctor gave her a sympathetic smile. “She’s never going stop being your mother, Rose. But,” he continued lightheartedly, “to be fair to her, you are very grouchy in the morning. Definitely remember some kicking and screaming on the TARDIS,” he teased, his tongue caught between his teeth.

Rose elbowed his ribs at that, the Doctor feigning a pained expression good-naturedly. “That’s because you always insisted on giving me _exactly_ 8 hours and not a second more before you bounded into my room, being far too chipper for the morning.”

“Whole universe out there and you wanted to hibernate,” he tutted.

“Well, I’ve got news for you, _Doctor_ , you’re human now. You’re soon going to be ‘hibernating’ as much as the rest of us. Bet you’ll be even worse than me in the mornings,” Rose poked his chest as she taunted him.

The Doctor’s hand flew up to pin her hand to his chest, using it as leverage to pull her closer as he leaned in; he’d also missed holding her hand. “Perhaps, but you’ll be there to sort me out, won’t you?”

But Rose wasn’t paying attention anymore. She was staring at where the Doctor clutched her hand to his chest. His smile wavered. Had he crossed a line? Was he a little too silly too soon?

When she lifted her head to meet his eyes, he was taken aback by the intensity of sorrow in them. “Is he going to be alright?” she whispered. She spread her palm out under his and pressed down a little.

The Doctor swallowed, not knowing what to say. She deserved the truth but how would he even begin to broach the subject?

“You said something was going on with Donna but she’s still with him, yeah? He’s not alone?” Rose prompted.

He decided to tackle it from the ground up. “What do you remember, or rather understand, from Donna’s explanation of what happened to her?”

“When she touched your hand, the regeneration energy that fed into her changed her, giving her all your knowledge. She became like you - part human, part Time Lord,” Rose recalled.

He winced. “Not exactly. She had a metacrisis like me, yes, but hers was purely mental and not biological.”

Rose nodded, not saying anything, knowing there was more.

The Doctor took a deep breath, bracing himself. “Rose, you have to understand, there’s never been a Human-Time Lord metacrisis before. Because there _can’t_ be. All that knowledge, her brain and body can’t sustain it. She’ll burn.”

“But - but he can fix it, yeah? You said she’s fine,” she asked, hopeful.

“And she will be - she _is_ \- once he’s removed everything from her memory,” he reassured her. A temporary measure.

“That’s - ”

“ _Everything._ ” He gritted his teeth as he bulldozed through all the relief on her face, hating every second. “She’ll have to forget meeting me, all her travels. It’s the only way to save her,” he added somberly.

Rose yanked her hand out of his grasp, covering her mouth to smother her heart-wrenching sobs as she realised what it implied, _precisely._ Not wanting to gather more attention than she already had from the residing patrons of the dining hall, she bolted, unable to stop her tears.

“Fuck!” the Doctor cursed, following after her. But he’d reacted a second too late because by the time he emerged in the foyer, he’d lost sight of her. However, there were only two directions to go: up to the rooms or out the door. Taking a chance, he ran out. He still had their key card after all.

Outside, he spotted Rose around the corner of the building, leaning heavily against the wall, trying and failing miserably to conceal her harrowing cries. His heart ached as he approached her, wanting nothing more than to wrap her up in his arms.

To his immense relief, she accepted it, burrowing into his embrace, seeking solace.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Rose," he offered, helpless to do much else.

“I - I abandoned him,” she spoke into his chest, haltingly.

His grip tightened. “No, he sacrificed himself. It’s different.”

She jerked back, furious. “I didn’t want to - You made me choose. He _forced_ me to choose.”

Unable to deny what was the truth, the Doctor could only give her a despondent look.

Rose closed her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks as she fell back against him, body weak all of a sudden. “I just wish there had been more time. Mum knew I never planned on staying. We could’ve said goodbye and gotten on the TARDIS with them. He didn’t have to end up alone. No one had to be _alone_.” She shook as fresh sobs wracked her body.

He sneered inwardly at himself. Some Time Lord he was, never having enough time when it was important. He held her close, swaying them slightly until she eventually calmed down.

“Tell me he’s going to be okay.”

He won’t be. He’d barely survived the first time ‘round, and that was with two phenomenal companions. By pushing the two of them together, he wasn’t even allowing himself the luxury to come for her, should it become possible. If the half-human knew the Time Lord - and he _did_ \- he wasn’t going to allow himself any new companions either. Nothing short of death was going to save him. Not this time.

“Rose - ”

“Just say it!” she demanded.

“He’s going to be fine. He’s always alright,” he recited.

Rose reclined against the wall behind her, resigned. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have shouted.” She looked at him mournfully. “I just need him to be okay.”

The Doctor tentatively raised his hand, tucking a lock of hair that was stuck to her wet cheek behind her ear when he met no objection. “‘S alright.”

“It was a fucked up situation,” she proclaimed, wiping away her tears.

He laughed wryly. “Yeah, all kinds of fucked up.”

“C’mon, I left my jacket in the dining hall.” She stepped towards the edge of the wall when he caught her wrist, tugging her back gently.

“He will be,” the Doctor told her, “Not right away and not in the way you expect, but he will be,” he affirmed.

“You mean when he becomes a new man.” It was voiced like a rueful fact rather than a question.

He hung his head, not knowing what else to say. He startled when Rose cupped his cheek, meeting his eyes.

“Thank you for telling me the truth.”

“Always.”

There was a pause while Rose regarded him. Then, she threw her arms around his neck, drawing him into an unyielding hug that he returned with gusto, tucking his face into her neck.

“I’m sorry if I made it seem like I don’t want you. I’m just sad and frustrated that he had to be left on his own. I don’t regret being here, or being with you.”

The Doctor’s body sagged, not realising till then how tense he had been or how much he needed to hear her say that. Of course, his clever and brilliant Rose hadn’t missed a trick. He hauled her closer in lieu of verbal appreciation. She let him stay enveloped around her for as long as he wanted.

When he released her, she led them back inside, hand in hand.

“We might as well buy something to sleep in. Do you want to go get my jacket and mum’s purse and I’ll meet you in the shop?” Rose asked, turning to him at the entrance. Her tone was subdued but at least she wasn’t on the verge of tears anymore.

At the Doctor’s acquiescence, she stood on her tip-toes and pecked his cheek. Dazed, he brought a hand up to his tingling skin as he stared after her retreating figure. At the back of his mind a voice that sounded suspiciously like Donna berated him for being overly pleased with such a simple gesture, but he couldn’t bring himself to be embarrassed. The possibility that Rose - a woman who was once his heart of the TARDIS and now simply _his heart_ \- would not recognise nor accept him had been unbearable. He was going to relish anything she gave him. With that, he headed to retrieve the items left behind.

Rose was by the men’s section, hunting through some t-shirts about five sizes too big for her.

“Figured something oversized can substitute for pyjamas,” she explained by way of greeting him. She plucked out a plain black tee with the logo of the establishment in the front and _‘Hotell Dårlig Ulv Stranden’_ in the back. Of all of them, it was the simplest choice.

Shrugging, the Doctor decided to do the same. He chose a white t-shirt with the same design, albeit more his size. Shuffling over to where some beach shorts were hung, he reached up to rifle through the choices. However, he grimaced as his hand brushed against the nylon material, dreading to think what it would be like to spend the whole night in it.

Noticing his discomfort, Rose said, “It’ll only be for tonight. I know Dad will be bringing the _‘Torchwood Emergency Kit’_. There’ll be some proper clothes in them that you can change into. You can wear what you’re in now to bed if you want.”

“Oh, good. I’m sure I’d be itching to rip it off if I tried to sleep in that.”

With their final choices in hand, they paid at the till and made their way to the room.

“Finally after all these years, I got to shop in a little shop,” the Doctor remarked.

Rose’s lips twitched. It wasn’t much but he counted it as a victory after the episode outside.

* * *

The Doctor faltered as he took in the room before him. Specifically, the very single and solitary bed in the room. When Jackie said ‘share’, he thought she’d meant the room, not a _bed_. It wasn’t like they’d never slept in one bed, but that was before. Don’t get him wrong, he sorely wanted to. But he couldn’t just assume Rose would. Scratching at his neck to quell his anxiousness, he turned to Rose beside him, awkwardness sweeping over them.

“Is this - ”

“Yeah. Unless you’d prefer to get another - ”

“Jackie said you’d be okay with sharing, I didn’t think she meant - ”

“I am, but you don’t have to - ”

“No! I mean, yes! I’d love to sleep with you.”

It took Rose’s slack-jawed expression, the words dying in her mouth for him to fully process what he’d just spewed to belay the discomfort between them. Flustered, he hurried to fix it, feeling his face heat up.

“I didn’t - I wouldn’t mind sharing the bed with you, that’s what I meant. Though, I certainly wouldn’t object if you did want to sleep with me. Not that I’m presuming we will - I just mean - ”

Rose giggled, cutting him short. “I’d love to sleep with you too, Doctor.”

The floor was suddenly extremely interesting. His blush deepened as he ran a hand through his hair, trying hard to ignore the double meaning in that statement, knowing Rose was only parroting him.

He looked up shyly when he’d got back a semblance of control. “So…?”

“Yes, this is alright.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

They grinned at each other, glad that the awkwardness was receding slowly.

The Doctor let Rose into the room in a chivalrous flourish, following after her and closing the door. The click of the lock resonated loudly in the still room like he’d just shut out the entire world behind him. The hairs at the back of his neck stood up as a different sort of tension ratcheted up between them. He was paralysed by the door, still holding onto the doorknob like a lifeline as they stared at each other across the room. The Doctor wondered what she would do if he just stalked up and snogged her against the table she was standing by like he’d been wanting to do since the beach.

Ultimately, Rose broke the staring contest by setting down their purchases, reaching in to dig out her prize. The Doctor gulped as his eyes followed the movement of her hands as she unzipped her jacket and slung it around the back of the chair. After removing her shoes and socks and placing them underneath the table, she turned to him, t-shirt in hand.

“Um… I need a shower so I’ll just be…”

“Yeah, of course,” he said, tugging on his ear, realising he might just break the doorknob if he held on any tighter.

She shot him a weak smile and disappeared into the adjacent bathroom.

The Doctor cursed inwardly, rubbing his palm down his face. He _desperately_ needed to get a handle on himself before something embarrassing happened.

Deciding to take a shower too, after, he set about copying Rose’s actions. Finally, he flopped onto the bed with the TARDIS coral that he retrieved before hanging up his jacket on the hook provided behind the door.

He closed his eyes as he turned the chunk over in his hands, trying to suss out anything with his telepathic senses. There was just a faint tune, reminiscent of the one from his TARDIS. He sighed, dropping his hands onto his stomach. There wouldn't be much else from his baby TARDIS until he got working on shatter-frying the plasmic shell and modifying the dimensional stabilisers as Donna had suggested, he supposed. He smiled a little at what he’d unconsciously called it. _His baby TARDIS_. His very own TARDIS. He sorely missed the Old Girl, but this fledgeling was going to be one that he’d bring up himself, bonding with it at an early stage to nurture its growth. Kind of like what she’d done with him.

He kissed the coral. _Don’t worry old girl, it’s my turn to look after you now._

“Doctor?”

He jumped, so lost in his thoughts about what his new ship would need that he didn’t notice Rose at the end of the bed. The Doctor’s mouth went dry as he took in her appearance; damp hair curling at her neck, the tee only came down to just above mid-thigh, all her exposed skin slightly pink from the presumably hot shower. He wondered if this was what she’d look like if she was flushed from… other activities.

“Uhh, the shower’s free if you want it,” she said, timidly.

“Right! Sorry, yeah, I’ll just…” What was _wrong_ with him? It wasn’t like this was the first time he’d seen Rose _en déshabillé_.

 _This is going to be a long night_ , he thought once he’d shuffled into the bathroom and shut the door to lean against it.

* * *

_This is going to be a long night_ , Rose thought as she fell face down into the bed once the Doctor had disappeared.

She was bone tired but her mind was restless. The shower had done her some good though; her mind had been blank throughout as she scrubbed away the grime and tension of the day. She had felt relatively rejuvenated by the time she stepped out of the bathroom. However, it hadn’t been enough to prepare her for the sight that greeted her. The Doctor, no jacket (and wasn’t that something in and of itself), TARDIS chunk clutched to his chest, lost in thought.

She sighed and shifted to lie on her back. Feeling warmth underneath her arm, she turned her head to consider where her hand landed.

 _Part human_.

After five years of her extraordinary life, Rose didn’t think anything new would shock her. But the Doctor had succeeded in astonishing her, yet again. During the quiet moments that she stole for herself in the rush and bustle of the Cannon project in full swing, her mind had run away with itself. She had made up infinite outcomes - happy, depressing, convoluted - but never in a million years could she have predicted this.

There were two of them! And her mind couldn’t seem to reconcile between mourning and being ecstatic. He was with her but also locked away in another universe. She was near euphoric that the biggest thorn in a potential relationship with him had been solved. They could grow old together, sharing their life like she had so desperately craved, wished, dreamed! But at the same time, he was also out there, alone. Her worst nightmare.

In those tense, horrid moments on that dreadful beach, when one Doctor was giving her his life on a silver platter and the other was inveigling her into his arms and rushing off, Rose had taken back her dwindling control of the situation and made the choice hers. Even so, she hated that it _had_ to be a choice.

The Doctor was a martyr. Rose had known since he’d told her about his people and what he had to do; that had been the moment she’d decided to stay with him forever. She had also known exactly what he was doing when he gave his _‘blood and anger and revenge’_ speech. Not that she believed him for a second.

Then, the Doctor had told her about his one life. And she’d felt that beating heart beneath her palm. It threw her off completely.

Time had been slipping away, ebbing through as the walls knitted themselves back together in _dimensional retroclosure_ and the Doctor had been _so_ determined to go, compelling her to just _accept_ it. The TARDIS was whirring and her world was splitting into halves when she decided to grab the two fraying threads and hold on. If a choice was what he had wanted, she was going to do it on _her_ terms.

And _yet…_

_Does it need saying?_

Rose had wanted to scream. Bang on his chest with her fists. Hadn’t he lost enough? Why was he so adamant to lose her too? Why wasn’t he giving her an open choice?

She laughed bitterly to herself. Even if it had been _‘both of us love you, which do you want’_ , it wouldn’t have been entirely truthful. When she kissed the Doctor, unequivocally telling everyone that she was staying, she had done it believing their word that Donna would stay. She was exactly what he needed. An equal, travelling with him forever.

Feeling the Doctor’s hand in hers during the walk back, she had consoled herself by repeating those words over and over in her head. That this was what he had wanted. She knew she couldn’t stop her sadness or even frustration towards the full Time Lord. Regardless, in the toilet, while splashing water on her face, she’d resolved to make an honest attempt at a good life with the Doctor who was currently with her, concluding to not let her feelings about the other Doctor get in the way.

Rose sat up, irritated. They had _lied_ to her. Credit where credit’s due - the Doctor _knew_ she’d refuse to leave the TARDIS had she learnt about Donna’s demise. She would’ve fought tooth and nail to stay and then again to help Donna. But now it was too late.

Her anger filtered away at the thought of the other woman. She sat back against the headboard and closed her eyes, the events that had transpired much earlier in the day coming to the forefront of her mind.

Donna would _hate_ it, having the memories of the Doctor taken away. Rose’s time with the proper Donna might’ve been brief, but it had been enough to see that her entire demeanour was just different with him around. Especially with how amazing she had been as the ‘Doctor Donna’.

The Donna in that pocket universe had been so lost. Afraid and lonely. She had no sense of purpose or even an inkling of just how brilliant she can be. Because Rose had seen it. She had seen why the Doctor had picked her as a companion. She had been so compassionate, repeatedly reassuring Rose that maybe it wasn’t whom she thought she’d lost; _“it could be anyone”._ The world around her had been turning bleaker by the second, yet she had remained resilient, despite her own hopelessness. Confused and out of her wits, the people around her constantly mentioning her back. She had been so afraid to even look at the creature that had been a part of her for so long. But in the end, when it mattered the most, she had the gumption to do what was needed to save the world.

Needed to save him.

Because without Donna, the Doctor would be dead.

* * *

Stepping out of the tub and drying himself, the Doctor steeled his nerves in preparation of facing Rose again. He felt nervous. There were no more barriers between them now, nothing they could busy or distract themselves with to avoid the metaphorical elephant in the room. Each other and their life ahead.

He hoped they’d talk now. She wasn’t shunning him but she had to have questions, and he was prepared to answer her. Anything to steer clear of stagnation in their relationship and _them_. Not now that she’d found him and this miracle had fallen into his lap; he was not going to lose her again, in any capacity.

After dressing in the t-shirt and his boxers, he took a deep breath and walked out. And froze.

Rose was crying.

Dread kneading his heart, he rushed to climb on the bed and kneel at her side.

“You didn’t even regenerate,” she said, eerily calm, before he could get a word in edgewise.

“What?”

Rose turned to him with watery eyes and the Doctor watched, horrified, as tears trailed down her cheeks. “I jumped dimension after dimension after dimension. For _two years._ I fought so hard to get back and you didn’t even regenerate,” Rose wailed as she clutched at the lapels of his jacket, “Why didn’t you regenerate?” she demanded.

The Doctor covered her hands with his, watching his Rose cry because of him breaking his heart. “Rose, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he pleaded, willing her to see that he’d never intentionally hurt her and maybe he could tell her whatever she wanted to know if she’d just _explain_.

Rose drew in ragged breaths as she tried to calm down, cursing inwardly that she let her emotions overwhelm her like this. The Doctor wiped away her tears and let his hands linger on her cheeks as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead in a comforting gesture.

After a few moments, when Rose finally got her breathing under control, she spoke. “In that parallel universe, Donna’s universe, you died,” she reached up to intertwine her fingers with his still on her cheeks, finding solace against the terrible prospect, “you drowned under the Thames where you defeated the Racnoss. But I don’t understand, you would’ve had time to escape. And even if you didn’t, even if the water was too fast, why didn’t you regenerate?”

Her words came out increasingly rushed as she spiralled down the road of hypotheticals, well versed by her first-hand experiences in alternate timelines. “Up until then, my worst-case scenario was that I would be too late and you’d have regenerated and moved on and I wouldn’t’ve been able to tell you apart from a stranger in a crowd. And then I met Donna and she told me that you’d... A different version of you is a hundred times better than _dead_ you, Doctor. Because what if that version of reality was not just some pocket universe but _my_ reality in the prime universe. What if I’d done all of that dimension-hopping to find that you were gone forever,” her breath hitched as tears flowed anew, “and then after helping Donna save you and the Prime universe, I jumped to find that you weren’t even on Earth. I was losing hope when that video call happened and you couldn’t even hear me. I was so close and you couldn’t _even hear me_ ,” she despaired as the memories of trying to reach him from behind various screens came back with full force.

“And then when I was finally in the right place, at the same time as you, after so long, that Dalek came out of nowhere and you died _again_. I lost you so many times, Doctor! Why didn’t you just regenerate?!” She flung her arms around him, burying her face in his neck as she wept, the past couple of days hitting her all at once. She needed his newfound warmth and closeness to reassure herself that he was real.

The Doctor wrapped his arms around her securely, pulling her onto his lap as he rubbed soothing circles on her back and buried his other hand into her hair. Holding her as close as humanly possible, he murmured consoling things in her ear. “It’s okay Rose, I’m right here. It’s going to be alright, I’m here.”

He rocked them back and forth absentmindedly as Rose’s sobs subsided, closing his eyes against his own prickling eyes, remembered fighting the Racnoss and watching as the Thames slowly drained into the core of the Earth. He didn’t need to ruminate extensively over the actions and choices of the Doctor from Donna’s pocket universe where he’d let himself be drowned and refused to regenerate, seeing how he had been contemplating it himself.

Truthfully, there had been only one thing running through his mind in those fateful seconds before Donna intervened.

_Envy._

He envied the Racnoss and her descendants. Envied that they could leave this world and save themselves from the horror it would inevitably bring. Envied the Empress herself that she would escape into the sweet clutches of death and didn’t have to live on with the devastation, loneliness, sadness and heartbreak that came from losing loved ones. He’d let himself be consumed by the thought that perhaps he could have that too, that he didn’t have to live on without Rose.

The Doctor shook his head, dispelling those images as Rose stirred underneath him, lifting her head to look at him. He swallowed thickly at her expectant gaze. But, when could he deny her anything?

“I lost you.”

Rose gaped at him. “What?”

He swept aside the hair stuck to her wet cheek and moved his hand back to caress it with his thumb.

“I’d just lost you and you were everywhere. Every flash of blonde hair, every whiff of chips, anything at all in pink that I saw. The thought of my ‘same old life’ without you was so _bleak_ that I didn’t care whether I lived or died. I wasn’t actively trying to kill myself but I wasn’t actively trying to save myself either. In fact, I only lived because I couldn’t bear someone else dying because of my recklessness. So, Donna quite literally saved me, even if it was as a consequence. Without Donna...”

“You didn’t want to live without me?”

The Doctor gave her a small smile. “Sometimes when I regenerate, I pick up quirks from my past experiences, past companions and inculcate it into my personality. It’s usually something small, but with you…” he touched his forehead to hers, “Oh Rose, but with _you_ , everything that I am, came from you. My accent, my words, the way that I dress, my incredibly devastating good looks -” he lifted up his head, plucking at the front of his shirt as he gave her a cocky grin, delighted when she chuckled lightly “- that’s all you. Even this human version of me was made for you and because of you when I poured all that regeneration energy into this hand,” he wiggled said hand in front of her face, adoring the little giggle that came out of her. “I had _just_ gotten you back and the last thing I wanted was to regenerate into someone else.”

He brought his hand back to her cheek, looking at her imploringly. “I was born to love you, Rose, how could I be without you?” he finished softly, nuzzling her nose with his.

Rose surged up in an effort to kiss him with so much force that the Doctor overbalanced and they fell back against the pillows with a yelp. Rose was blushing furiously when he steadied himself to look at her, biting her bottom lip and averting her gaze, mortified. But the smile on her lips was very apparent.

He couldn’t help it when his own morphed into a dopey grin when Rose glanced back at him.

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything,” he defended, his grin becoming impossibly wider. And smug, of course.

“Stop it!”

“What?”

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like Rose Tyler was so desperate to kiss me she pushed me onto the bed?” he teased.

Rose groaned and buried her face into the crook of his neck and the Doctor could feel the heat of her cheeks against his collarbone. He held her to him tightly as warmth boomed in his chest, loving the weight of her body lying on top of his.

“I wasn’t desperate,” came a muffled voice.

Seriously, his cheeks were hurting and he felt a little more light-headed than he was used to from his giddiness. He couldn’t care less about the human body and the lack of control over its hormones at the moment, though. Rose Tyler was in his arms and she wasn’t going anywhere. _Ever_. It was intoxicating. _She_ was intoxicating.

He turned his head and pressed a lingering kiss to her temple, his nose in her hair, relishing the smell of her as it filled his lungs. _Fuck_ , he could get used to this.

“It’s okay. It’s only natural that you’d throw yourself at me, I’m quite irresistible.”

Rose lifted her head, her earlier blush having receded. Her narrowed eyes flashed challengingly but there was mirth underneath. “Oh you smug bastard, you’re going to regret that.”

He touched the tip of his tongue to his teeth. “Oh, yeah?”

Rose Tyler kissed him.

Their first one on the beach had been frantic and intense. But it was the kind caused by relief. Relief to be in each other’s arms again. Relief that three years of forced and painful separation had ended. Relief that Rose was giving him this, no matter what happened afterwards. Relief that she’d found the Doctor and finally had everything she dreamed about in her hands.

Relief that they chose each other.

But Rose was kissing him now with passion and _intent_ behind it, the kind of intent that caused his stomach to get knotted and an entirely different kind of warmth to flow through his body. And _oh_ , was he onboard.

He buried one of his hands in her hair, pressing her to him as close as humanly possible, kissing her with equal fervour. As Rose coaxed his mouth open to slide her tongue against his, the Doctor let his other hand roam over her back, down towards the hem of the now too-long top. As he leisurely dragged it up, he admired the curve of her bum, covered in only her knickers. Squeezing it, he resumed his quest to expose and explore more of her skin, vowing to come back to her bum after he was satisfied. However, being pressed so close, he couldn't get the t-shirt past her waist. He settled for sneaking his hand underneath the garment for the time being.

Rose slowed down after a while, her kisses turned teasing, little nips to his bottom lip and light flicks of her tongue that were barely inside his mouth. The Doctor whined, trying to deepen the kiss but she pulled back every time, giggling at his growing frustration.

He finally snapped and hooked his leg around hers to flip them, clasping her forearms to pin a tittering Rose below him.

“Look who’s desperate now.”

The Doctor growled as he kissed down her neck and scraped his teeth across her collarbone. He smirked triumphantly at her gasp when he nipped and sucked at her pulse point.

Needing more friction as his carnal pleasure escalated, he undulated his hips against hers. He heard Rose hum and flicked his eyes up to her face. She had her eyes shut and was looking every bit happy and content that he felt. He couldn’t help smiling against her throat.

“Wanted this for so long, Doctor,” she said, eyes flickering open when his movements faltered.

“Me too, Rose.” He dragged his lips back to hers in a sensuous kiss, wanting to convey _how much_.

The Doctor trailed his fingers up along her arms and down her body to the hem of the t-shirt, making sure to brush against her nipples, relishing her shivers at his touch. Leaving one last kiss, he raised his head to watch as he pushed her top up and her flesh was revealed inch by inch. Resisting the urge to familiarize his mouth with the shape and texture of Rose’s breasts, he shifted back on his knees to remove her knickers when Rose took over taking off her top.

The Doctor stopped, soaking up the gloriously naked form in front of him. From her flushed face to the faint marks he dotted over her neck, the mesmerizing way her chest moved up and down from her heavy breaths and the goosebumps forming over her thighs at being exposed to colder air. It just hit him then, all at once. This is _Rose_ , and here he was with her, with a single heart racing away in his chest in an attempt to keep up with this _life_ and a forever that now matched the very woman it was created to beat for and _it’s Rose,_ he’s about to make love to Rose _Rose Rose -_

“You are staggeringly beautiful,” he breathed, not quite trusting his voice to stay steady if he spoke any louder.

Rose bit her lip and looked away, extremely shy and bashful at the earnest emotion pouring out of his eyes, her heart skipping at the sincerity in his wonderful words. How was one supposed to follow that?

He crawled back up her body, reaching out to turn her head with a finger under her chin. His love for her was overwhelming him and he couldn’t bear to have her gaze elsewhere. He needed to show her that she deserved this all-encompassing love and so much more.

“Rose Tyler,” he let out breathily, leaning down to kiss her tenderly. Her name was the only thing he could say really, the only words in the universe able to convey how much she meant to him. The only words in the multiverse.

Her hands came up to entangle themselves in his hair, using his weight to press herself into the bed. “Too many clothes,” she grunted in frustration when she failed to meet skin on skin.

The Doctor hurriedly stood up on the bed to divest himself of his t-shirt and pants in record time, loathe to take time away from exploring the miles of skin and flesh lying below him. He dropped back, straddling her hips and sliding his chest against her as he moved up to kiss her again.

Rose moaned, thrilled at finally being able to touch him bare. She returned her fingers to his hair but let one hand run over any and all skin she could reach, like she was mapping it with touch alone. Back of his neck, line of his shoulders, over his back, down his spine; she gasped as he ground his hard cock into her hips, fingers inching down to squeeze his bum.

The Doctor broke the kiss and followed a path down from her neck to her nipples, led by his fingers. He sucked her nipple lightly before laving at the hardened tip with his tongue. Swirling round and round, he brought up his left hand to copy the actions on the other so that it wasn't left unattended. Rose moaned loudly when he grazed the nub with his teeth and tugged gingerly. Delighted, he made a mental note to find out what else he could do with his teeth that she’d love.

Giving her left nipple one last hard suck, he kissed his way over to the other, switching to his left hand to support his upper body on the bed. He licked around the dusky skin once and blew on it, making her gasp. Covering it with his mouth again, he followed the same pattern he did with the other nipple. Bringing his right hand up, he gingerly traced a line from between her breasts, all the way down to where she was throbbing, her pants increasing as anticipation built.

“Oh, Rose…” he groaned as he slipped his fingers easily through her folds, the wetness gathered there surprising him. He couldn’t wait to taste it. But he didn’t get very far down her stomach with his trail of kisses when Rose’s grip in his hair tightened and pulled him up to her lips again.

“Later. Promise. Need you, please,” she urged. The Doctor kissed her hungrily, her request shooting straight down to his cock. He couldn’t help wanting to sink into her just as much as she did.

That thought made something occur to him. He pulled back to look at Rose, pausing his circling fingers on her clit. “Doctor,” she whined.

“Rose, we need - I’m human now, I can’t just - ”

She nodded, understanding. “Mum’s purse. She usually has one stashed.”

The Doctor grimaced, bringing his wet fingers to his mouth to banish thoughts of _why_. He moaned when her flavour burst in his mouth, the knowledge that this is what Rose tasted like at her very core - pun intended - more arousing than the taste itself. _Later_ would come very quickly indeed, if he had his way.

Rose twisted her body under him as she stretched her arm out for the purse that was in her reach. She had dropped it on the bedside table when they had entered the room, in that instinctual manner that people do - not thinking beyond _‘first available flat surface to free my hands’_. “Can’t believe mum was right,” she grumbled.

“What was that?”

“It isn’t a coincidence that I have her purse, Doctor,” Rose informed him as she extracted the condom from its case, “Mum suspected that we would do _something_ and took precautions. She always had one on her in the other universe. I guess old habits die hard. I wouldn’t think too much about it,” Rose added at his dumbfounded expression. “Gift horse and all that.”

The Doctor shook his head as he sat back and accepted the condom, ripping it out of its packet. “As long as we have protection, I suppose.” Rolling it onto himself, he stroked his cock to get back into the mood, the moment having lost its momentum during their pursuit of safety.

Kissing back up her body, he anchored himself by her head with their locked hands, sliding his cock through her slick folds, making sure to rub up against her clit. Rose moaned, scrabbling to get a hold in his brown tresses, angling his head to deepen the kiss. She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth and bit down; his smooth rutting jerked at the action.

“Fuck me, Doctor,” Rose said releasing his lip.

Finding purchase under her knee, he lifted and bent it to give him more room to manoeuvre. Using his hand, he guided the head of his cock to her entrance. Meeting her eyes, he asked, “Ready?”

At her nod, the Doctor pressed in slowly, inch by inch, allowing them both time to adjust; he was overwhelmed by her hot, wet tightness surrounding him. Rose moaned into his mouth as he bottomed out. He laughed breathlessly at the sound.

“What?”

The Doctor brushed his forehead against hers. “Nothing. Just… I had a million different scenarios in my head and even with all of Time at my disposal, I _never_ could’ve predicted that this was how it was going to happen.”

“You imagined having sex with me a million times?”

“Oh yes, Rose Tyler, you have _no_ idea.”

Rose caught her tongue between her teeth. “Why don’t you give me a taste?”

He groaned, chasing the tempting tip of pink back into her mouth as he started to move slowly. He could burst on a hair-trigger for all he knew about his human body’s limitations.

Their kisses turned sloppy as their lungs caught up to them, their arousal building with the Doctor gradually strengthening his thrusts, in and out, in and out, over and over and over.

Rose broke the kiss, panting out, “More,” into his neck.

“Rose - hhhhn, I’m not gonna - ”

“Me neither. Please, Doctor.”

Fair enough. He supported himself with a hand on the headboard as he pulled out almost all the way and plunged back in hard, leaving him gasping and Rose keening. “ _Yes!”_

Encouraged, he kept it up, his knuckles turning white on the headboard as he pounded into her. The room was soon filled with sounds of skin slapping against skin; the creaks of the bed under the strain of the vigorous rocking motion atop it; the moans and gasps of one blonde human mixed in with “ _fuck_ ” and “ _right there_ ” and breathy “ _god, yes_ ”. The Doctor shut his eyes against the cocktail of erotic noise assaulting him, trying to stave off his imminent climax a little while longer, wanting to experience it together with Rose.

“I’m close, Ro - Rose, c’mon.”

He felt her sneak a hand between their writhing bodies, presumably to help herself along. He didn’t think he’d last that much longer. Curse this human body.

“Oh, yes, yes - ” Rose cut herself off with a silent shout as she was pushed over the edge. The Doctor groaned at Rose clenching around him. A couple more thrusts and he followed her over the precipice, burying his face in her neck as he called out her name.

“Shit, sorry,” he said at Rose’s ‘oof’ when he collapsed on top of her, thoroughly exhausted. He made a feeble attempt to roll away when her arms came up under his shoulders. “No, it’s alright, stay.”

He sighed in gratitude, not wanting to lose contact with her body just yet. Kissing his neck lightly, Rose hummed happily, still buzzing from the pleasure peak. Quite frankly, he returned the sentiment.

When his lungs co-operated again, he heaved himself off and grimaced at the mess. After carefully removing the condom and tying the end off, he threw it successfully into the bin that was in his corner of the room. Accepting the t-shirt Rose handed him, he cleaned himself and dropped it on the floor beside him.

Glad to be done with the ritual, he relaxed back and cuddled Rose close, drawing the sheets over them. She nestled into his shoulder, lightly playing with his chest hair, tracing nonsensical patterns.

Looking up at him, she smiled brilliantly; the first one he’d seen akin to the one she gave him from the other side of that street. It was carefree and almost bewitching like the one she used to give him. He kissed her, like he dreamed of doing on their travels, now that he could.

“If you’re going to punish me like this, I think I need to annoy you more often,” the Doctor declared mischievously.

“Oh no, Doctor, that wasn’t it. Your punishment is tomorrow when you’re going to be the one to return my mum’s purse to her and the first thing she sees when she opens it is the condom missing.”

The Doctor’s smile vanished off his face like it’d been teleported off.

“No. Nonono, Rose please, _anything_ else. No, stop snickering! Rose! I’m begging you, please, no. I’ll do anything.”

Rose cackled, throwing her head back when it was his turn to bury his face in her neck, embarrassed and pleading shamelessly to get her payback another way.

“That’ll teach you to be a smug prick.”

“Yeah, but I’m your smug prick, so it’s worth it,” he purred in reply, snuggling into her soft skin at her neck. He laced their hands together. _Anything_ was worth one Rose Tyler.

Rubbing absentmindedly at her thumb, the Doctor felt gratified about how this was his reality now. The silence that fell over them was familiar, tranquil. This was them. He loved that, in spite of the forced separation, they could easily slip back into what had always been _them_ \- cosy atmosphere, easy banter and the undeniable layer of affection underneath.

Even with the new development.

“You know,” Rose snorted, pulling at his attention, “of the two of us, I’d always imagined that you’d be the vocal one.”

The Doctor smiled. “Well, gimme some time to get used to this body’s quirks and with some practice, you may be proven right.”

“ _Practice?_ You haven't even fully recovered yet an’ you already want another go. Are you sure you’re not a full-blown randy human?” she said mock-offended.

He scoffed. “I’ll show you ‘randy human’.” Pushing back a lock of hair behind her ear, the randy human traced his finger down to under her jaw, angling her face and closed the distance between their lips.

Despite his admonishing tone, they kissed languidly, content to just savour this moment with nary a care weighing them down. It was bliss.

Bliss he intended to exploit for the _rest_ of his life, thank you very much.

* * *

Rose was at peace as they kissed. _This_ may not have been why she had strived to get back to him but it still felt good to reap the benefits. It had been a strenuous day even before she finally saw the Doctor’s face and she had cried more times than she could count since then - _twice_ in just the past couple of hours! She knew that there were still conversations to be had and sleep was going to catch up with her soon, but they were flirting again and she felt light and floaty and didn’t want to shatter the atmosphere. It really was amazing what an orgasm can do to a person.

The Doctor eased off and pressed his lips to her forehead, seeming to gather some courage to speak as he prolonged it. “Your mother’s right, y’know. I, uh,” he cleared his throat, eyes vaguely focusing below her face as he palmed at the back of his neck, “I would take your name, without question, if - if that’s something you’d ever want.”

Rose stared at him, watching how his cheeks became progressively redder as the moment stretched on without her saying anything. _God,_ she was never going to get tired of the sight. She still couldn’t believe that what she fought so hard and long for was _right there in front of her._

“I love you.”

The Doctor’s head whipped up, eyes wide, expression shocked and disbelieving. Rose realised that this was the first time she’d professed her love for him in three years. No wonder he was stupefied.

“Yeah?” he positively beamed.

“Yes,” she replied with no hint of hesitation.

He captured her lips in a passionate kiss. At least, as passionate as one can be when both parties involved couldn’t stop smiling like the dorks in love that they were.

“‘Bout time,” he uttered happily.

Rose pulled back, miffed. “Oi, that’s twice now I’ve said it to you. You’re the one needing catching up.”

“Oh, so this is a competition?” he asked, grabbing one of her hands from around his neck to press his lips to her knuckles.

“Yes,” Rose emphasized playfully, accompanied by one of her trademarked tongue-touched smiles.

“I just told you I’d take your name when we got married. Doesn’t that count for something?”

“Suddenly it’s ‘when’ and not ‘if’. You’re so sure I’d marry you.”

“Rose Tyler, I am aghast. I’d make the perfect husband! Not to mention that my proposal would be so mind-blowing, the word ‘no’ would vanish from your vocabulary.”

“You think you’re so impressive.”

“Oh, yes!” he circled her waist to pull her on top of him, settling on his back, “I am so impressive.”

There was a pause as they got comfortable in the new position: Rose with her head supported by her arms, perched on the Doctor’s chest as he entangled their legs. “I didn’t know that was something you’d consider,” Rose stated, nonchalantly patterning his clavicle with her fingers as if her heart wasn’t currently auditioning to join the circus in her chest, “getting married.”

The Doctor chuckled. “Well, I am a complicated event in time and space. Never been another like me. It’s a genesis, my new origin story! Thinking about marriage is my way of embracing a human me.” He looked down at her through hooded eyes, reaching out to cup her cheek, running his thumb over her bottom lip. “Rest of my life, Rose, I meant it. So that means for you, I’d do just about anything.” He smiled at her meaningfully. “I love you.”

She kissed his thumb, equal parts astonished and captivated by this new emotional openness and vulnerability. “My new new new Doctor.” He made a pleased sound in agreement.

“Are you feeling better?” he murmured after a while.

Rose raised her eyebrow. “You’re asking me that after we just shagged?”

He wrinkled his nose. “ _Shagged._ Sounds very inelegant for our first time. We just _made love_ , I'd say.”

She chuckled, twisting her head to kiss the wrist of a hand that was combing tenderly through her hair.

Rose sighed, becoming serious at the Doctor’s _‘well?’_ look.

“I - oh, I don’t know… Before you told me about Donna, I could handle the situation; at least, I thought so. Like you said, it isn’t what I expected but I was fully prepared to live my life. I - I’m over the moon that I didn’t lose mum, dad or Tony. And that I have _you_ , which was the point of it all.”

She rolled off him then, falling on her back. The Doctor turned to his side, resting his head on his fist, elbow pushing into the pillow below as he watched her silently.

“Don’t get me wrong, I was and still am pissed that I had to _pick_ , leaving one of you in the lurch. And he was just rushing off, not even giving me a second to think. But when I - you two _lied_ to me. When Donna was talking about staying with him forever, you just let me believe it. And I chose to stay because of what she said. I thought he was going to be okay. But now you tell me he’s alone and I’m just supposed to be alright with that?”

“He wanted this for you. He thought this was best,” he said softly.

“What about what’s best for him?”

* * *

The Doctor turned to lie on his back, staring at the ceiling.

He was glad they were properly talking. He had even stopped himself short of reaching out to her when she moved, not wanting to interrupt. But he didn’t know how to answer her question. He suspected his counterpart would always remain a topic of controversy. He could only aim to do whatever Rose needed to get past it.

Sighing, Rose took the hand on his chest in hers. “I don’t want to wallow or fight because _you’re here_. But at the same time… he’s not.”

“So, what now?”

She paused, drawing her shoulders back, her eyes becoming steely and determined. “Doctor, promise me that going forward there will be no more tricks. No more Game Stations and Canary Wharfs, and certainly not what happened on the beach. You said together and I believe you. But please, complete honesty because frankly, both of us don’t deserve anything less.”

Guilt filled him. He’d caused her so much pain but no more. He was not a Time Lord anymore, the burden of the universe was not on his shoulders. He swore vehemently to himself that he was going to spend every waking hour of every day for how many ever days this body was going to grant devoting himself to Rose’s happiness and nothing else.

So he told her everything.

“Every song must end.”

“What?”

He took a deep breath. “The Ood,” he exhaled, “you were right by the way, they were slaves. Donna freed them - I can tell you the whole story later if you want - and in return, the Ood sang us a song, the song of life after 200 years of captivity. They didn’t just predict ‘Doctor-Donna’, Rose, they saw the end of me, _well_ him now technically. They said that my song must end soon.”

“What, like permanently?”

He faced her. “No. But it’s still the end of _me_. Everything I am dies and some new man goes sauntering away. And it hurts, just like dying.”

“Regeneration is painful?” Rose asked, voice small. He nodded. She lifted his hand, guiding his arm over her shoulders, burrowing into his chest. “I’m sorry.”

He held her tighter. “No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the way it happened. If I could give you another go at it with more time, I would; and I’ve no doubt you would’ve found a way around it. And you’re right, it doesn't matter that he wasn’t going to tell you about Donna, _I_ should have. But I wanted - ” he pressed his face into her hair and inhaled a shuddering breath. “I am not going to lie, Rose. Had our roles been reversed, I would’ve done the same as him. Because, as convoluted as it was, it ended with me having you. Unquestionably. _Truly forever_. I won’t apologise for having you now, for as long as our singular hearts will last us. And I am going to put up a fight if I need to. I promise, no more tricks. _Nothing_ will keep me from your side anymore, not unless you irrevocably tell me to walk away. I am _him_ , and this is what I can offer you.”

Rose’s eyes were shining with tears, but she was smiling. “Good, because you make me happy and I don’t intend to let you go.”

The Doctor grinned at that. “Oh, Rose. Me too. I am already extremely happy and you did that.”

She snuggled closer to him, wrapping her arm around his waist and burying her face in his neck, humming contently.

“Oh, and the TARDIS too. I can offer that too, but in five years, sorry,” he winced.

Rose giggled and brushed her lips lightly against his neck, making him shiver. “Is it hard? Not having her in your mind?” she asked sympathetically.

He pursed his lips. “700 years I’ve had her. Yeah, it feels hollow, discommodious. And it’ll be at least a few months before that coral is developed enough to even form a cursory connection. But this link will be stronger because I’m with the baby TARDIS as it grows. In fact, you might be able to connect as well. And don’t worry, we can start travelling again before too long. Maybe in one to two years, depending on her growth stages, we can make small jumps in time and space - like exercising muscles. It just takes five years for it to become the full-scale TARDIS that you know.”

“That’ll be nice, Doctor, but I didn’t come back for the TARDIS, I came back for you.”

“Well yeah, I just thought you’d - ”

“What?”

He looked away. “Five years in a long time for humans. You might go mad by then.”

“You’re worried about me?” He met her shocked eyes. “Doctor, you’re the one who’s basically trapped here and now until - ”

“I’m not trapped,” he interrupted, “Rose, I can never be or feel trapped, not with you.”

“And I don’t need the stars. I want you.”

He pecked her on the lips. “And I, you. I’d feel restless at times maybe, but plenty to occupy my mind! It’s a brand new universe! A different Earth! I want to make a comprehensive catalogue of the differences, update my brain folders. You’re my ‘Doctor’ now, Rose Tyler. Besides, if that doesn’t suffice, _well_ , I’m sure you can think of something to _engage_ my time,” he added with a lewd tilt of his pelvis.

She raised an eyebrow, incredulous. “Brain folders?”

“Typical, you try to flirt and she focuses on the wrong thing.”

“Trying being the keyword here.”

“Oi! I can flirt the pants off you. In fact,” he waggled his eyebrows, raking his eyes over her, albeit covered, form, deliberately, “I already did.”

“A fluke. I took pity on you actually. You’re not that good,” she ridiculed, no malice behind her words.

“Perhaps you need a demonstration. For example, I’ve always wanted to try…” With a swiftness that made Rose gasp, he ensnared her beneath him; their bodies centimetres from touching, his forearms on the bed surrounding her head as he brought his mouth by her ear and sultrily whispered in a low, gravelly tone, “Does it matter what I say, _Rose Tyler_ , if it’s me that affects you?”

The result was immediate. He observed as goosebumps broke out on her skin where his hot breath hit and a full-body shiver sluiced through her. He didn’t need to feel her pulse to know that her heartbeat had to have sped up. He smirked as her lips parted in a breathless, “Doctor...” _Oh, she was in so much trouble._

The Doctor winked at her and then went back to his previous position propped up on his elbow, only this time his expression was insufferable.

Rose bit her lip, not quite being able to meet his eyes, which was fruitless given that her reddening cheeks made her feelings very evident. “Um, so I may have to re-examine…”

“Re-examine what?”

“Uhh...”

He chuckled and pulled her to him, pleased when she hid from him in his neck. He could feel her smile against his skin. He kissed under her ear and carried on using the same voice (though not as rich), “Don’t ever question me like that again.”

“Yup!” she squeaked.

“See, this is what I mean,” he inched away enough to grasp her chin and tilt her face up to his, “With so much to explore, _especially_ your reactions to me, how can you think I’ll get jittery?” Not waiting for a reply, he kissed her, soft and lazy.

Unfortunately, their snog was cut off a minute later by a yawning Rose.

“Am I boring you?”

“No! Sorry, I can’t believe that happened.”

He laughed. “I’m impressed you lasted this long. We need to sleep anyway if we’re to be up in time for when Pete arrives.”

“Yeah,” she said absently as she settled back against him. Out of the blue, she groaned. “Ugh, you’ll need to get up to switch off the lights. I’ll be cold,” she whined.

“Oh, ye of little faith.” Not keen on leaving her either, he grabbed the pen off the side table and aimed it at the light switch. A perfect shot.

“Yes!” he cheered.

“I love you,” she sighed, closing her eyes, finally allowing herself to peacefully succumb under the weight of sleep.

His heart jumped at the way she spoke it so freely like it still wasn’t an earth-shattering phrase. He kissed her forehead, absolutely giddy. “Goodnight, Rose.”

“Night,” she mumbled sleepily and her breaths evened out.

Without jostling her too much, he moved to rest his chin atop her head. He shut his eyes, letting the day wash over him, marvelling at Daedalian pathways time had taken to -

_Oh my god, he owed his life with Rose to a Dalek._

No, no, no, no. Dalek Caan may have seen all of Time and prophesied the end of all Dalek, but even he couldn’t have orchestrated the events leading to his birth and the consequences it caused. This would always have happened. But time doesn’t care about the details. Caan was merely manipulating the timelines, pulling at the strings and placing them _just so_ , letting the progression of time seep into the threads and weave them into a tapestry; he was a safety net, an insurance policy for all of time and space. It would take someone with immense power to accomplish -

_I can see everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be._

He chuckled quietly, awe and disbelief coursing through him, cuddling closer to his slumbering Goddess of Time.

_I want you safe. My Doctor._

So he was wrong.

The final act of the Time War was _love_.

Life and Death. Love and Hate. Maybe human artists were on to something when they portray love as the most powerful weapon of all in their works.

And he was the lucky bastard who got it all.

* * *

Blinking away the sleep from his eyes, the Doctor yawned and stretched the lethargy out of his limbs. Peering up at the unfamiliar ceiling, it took him a second to get his bearings.

Right. Metacrisis. Single Heart. Norway. Bad Wolf Bay. _Rose._

Turning over, he saw the object of his musings; face half-concealed into the pillow next to him, chaotic hair lit up by the sunlight streaming in from the window, tiny snores emitting from the parted mouth and what looked like dried drool smudges on her chin.

Rose Tyler was the most gorgeous sight he’d ever beheld.

Shifting forward, he wound an arm around her and settled back to how he was before he fell asleep. It was quickly becoming his favourite position.

Savouring the embrace, he took in the room before him. Her t-shirt was lying by the door, he saw the corner of his sticking out from below the bed and Rose’s knickers were across the room, dangling from the arm of the chair where he’d tossed it. He bit his lip, grinning at the conjured up memories. His eyes finally landed on the bedside table and the purse sitting atop it. Jackie’s purse.

Oh, right. He was meant to return it. With the missing condom. He sighed. Might as well get it over with. He didn’t feel particularly tired despite being up quite late. It seemed that five hours was quite enough for the human physiology of his body.

He could get Rose breakfast on the way back.

Dropping a kiss to the top of her head, the Doctor carefully slid out from underneath the covers and got dressed in his trousers, shirt and jacket that were hanging on the radiator in the bathroom. Taming his hair into something presentable, he left, purse in hand. Pity really, he liked the patented Rose-sexed look.

Pushing his apprehension down, he knocked on Jackie’s door. It’s not like he did anything wrong, in fact, he had the presence of mind to be _safe_ , Jackie should be grateful.

Oh, who was he kidding, two regenerations and his cheek still had the memory of the slap. His in-the-far-future potential mother-in-law was going to kill him before they even left the hotel.

There was no answer to the door. Right.

On the whole way to the dining hall, he debated his options. Did he _have_ to face Jackie? Maybe he could just leave it at the door. No, if it got stolen, he’d never live it down. Or he could chuck it at her and flee. Worse; if it hits her head, she would _actually_ murder him. Or he could just never return it! Yes, hide it in his bigger-on-the-inside pockets and incinerate it the first chance he got. Perhaps, distract Rose from her little verdict with a stunning breakfast and mind-blowing sex. No, he wouldn't have enough time for that - he didn’t know when they were leaving and didn’t fancy getting interrupted or caught. Just returning the purse quietly would be less traumatizing. Besides, Rose would be too smart for that trick.

Bracing himself, he turned to enter the hall, finding Jackie by the far window, texting.

“Morning, Jackie!” he greeted with forced merriness, feeling skittish, “This is yours, I think.”

Jackie glanced at the purse and raised her eyes evenly to his with a cocked eyebrow like she was sizing him up to see how many pounds of meat she could garner if she took him to a butcher’s. The Doctor's feet started to itch.

“Right! Rose is still sleeping and I really should go, get her some breakfast, don’t want her to wake up starving and not have something to eat in front of her. Can you imagine? That’d be mad! And anyway, she deserves it, yesterday was exhausting for her. The day! Not the night. I mean, why would the night be exhausting, she just went to sleep. Yup, sleep! Good night’s rest.”

“Calm down, you plum. I’m not going to eat you.”

“You sure?”

She ignored him. “Pete’s just told me that they’ll be here in an hour. So, if you two want to eat something, I’d get a move on.”

“Right you are, Jackie Tyler,” he acknowledged with a one-fingered salute.

The kitchen staff told him that he could take a tray back to his room as long as he notified reception. Grabbing two plates, he got as close to a Full English as he could - without baked beans and scrambled eggs instead of fried. Finally, topping off his tray with a little pot of milk (or a mug more like) for tea and the necessary utensils, he made his way to the front desk to give his room number and get ‘permission’ as requested.

Back at the room, after nearly tipping over the milk twice - he really should’ve just put the tray down to open and close the door - he placed his bounty down and grabbed the complimentary kettle provided and set about making tea so that it would be done and at the right temperature by the time he woke up Rose.

Oh, how he’d always wanted to do this.

When they were travelling together, he would pop into her room to rouse her if she wasn’t already up and in the kitchen, more so after he’d regenerated, greedy to consume all seconds and minutes available to him. But, it was just shaking her shoulder. He could never do it… properly.

But now he can.

Because he was allowed.

Most importantly, because he was permitting himself to let go.

A ‘ping’ from the kettle pulled him out of his reprieve, alerting him that the water was done. Pouring it into the two mugs, he let the tea bags steep.

Suddenly, he was anxious.

They’d already had sex! Brilliant, splendid and wonderful copulation. This was simply waking her up! Yet, he couldn’t reason with his body to stop the tumultuous twisting of his gut. Untying his shoes to restrain from fidgeting, he ignored his traitorous hybrid body and crawled onto the bed.

Tenderly sweeping her hair out of her face, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Rose, time to wake up, sweetheart.”

Hmm, he wasn't sure ‘sweetheart’ fit.

Rose didn't react, save for a creased brow.

“Rooooooose, your breakfast is gonna go cold.”

She grumbled and dug further into her pillow, but her lips quirked up a little. She was so adorable.

“Rooooo-oooose,” he sing-songed, “I know you're awake, love.”

Her eyes cracked open a little and her smile grew.

“Hello,” he greeted, voice low, feeling mushy and utterly in love.

She finally turned her face fully towards him. “Do we have to get up?” she asked, petulant.

“Unfortunately, yes. They’re going to be here in forty-five minutes. Besides! Breakfast in bed! I want to see your impressed face.”

Rose sighed and sat up, but the Doctor remained hovering, which bought their face within inches of each other. She looked down at the blanket she moved up with. “Um, might need a shirt first, though.”

“Why? It’s only me here and I definitely have no objections,” he smirked.

“Doctor.”

“Oh, alright, alright,” he uttered, not really paying attention to what he was saying, fully intent on collecting his morning kiss. But, his progress was stopped by a finger on his lips. “Rose?”

She was blushing. “Not that I don’t want to kiss you, Doctor, but I should probably brush my teeth first.”

Now he was genuinely confused. “Why?”

“Because, morning breath, and all that.”

The Doctor laughed. He pried her hand away from his lips, interlocking them. “Rose, I really couldn’t care less.”

“Oh.”

“Mmm.” He bumped their noses and kissed her, lips warm and gliding smoothly. But he didn’t push it into an open-mouthed kiss, mindful of Rose’s comment. They could overcome that gradually. Breaking away, he rested his forehead on hers. “Good morning, Rose Tyler.”

She bit her lip and giggled. “Morning, Doctor.”

He pecked her lips once more and climbed off the bed. “Now! Breakfast! Most crucial meal of the day. How about a cuppa to start it off, eh?” After tossing Rose his souvenir t-shirt from where he’d stored it in the bag under the table, he removed the tea bags from the mugs. Splash of milk, no sugar. Just the way she liked it.

“Here we are.”

Rose took a sip. “It’s perfect,” she beamed.

“Good, because I wasn’t sure your taste hadn’t changed.”

“Will yours be different? Because I remember you didn’t like milk before your regeneration.”

“Huh. I didn’t think of that.” Reclining on the headboard, tray balanced across both their laps, the Doctor picked up his cup from his side table and drank. “I still like three sugars. Could do with a little less milk, though. It appears Donna’s taste affected mine.”

“How do you know it was Donna and not the regeneration?”

“Well, the hand is from this incarnation, you could say, and the regenerative energy replicated my DNA, triggered when Donna touched it. So, any differences in me will have to have come from Donna. I suspect we’ll see more variances as time goes on. Should be just little things though, nothing too big.”

Rose hummed non-committedly as she relaxed against his shoulder and ate, which left him with only one arm free to eat, but the Doctor didn’t mind.

“Speaking of Donna, I should tell you. If we’re insisting on this name business, I think I want to go with ‘John Noble’. Feels right to me, more than ‘Smith’.”

Rose nodded understandingly. “Donna’s brilliant. I told her that y’know, in that universe. She didn’t want to believe me, but at least she knew that’s what I thought about her. And now, she won’t even remember.”

He rubbed her back reassuringly. “So let’s remember for her, yeah?”

Rose indicated her assent by nestling into the crook of his neck. He changed the subject to something more amicable.

“I gave Jackie the purse.”

She brightened up immediately. “Yeah? What’d mum do?”

“Oh, Rose, it was _torture_. She didn’t say anything! Just stared - which I didn’t realise would be worse than if she’d reprimanded me verbally.”

“You got the trademarked _‘you know what you did’_ look! Ha!” She dissolved into peals of laughter.

Oh, this was exactly what he’d been hoping for. He had missed her open and carefree laughter reverberating down the hallways of the TARDIS. Now, he can make sure to hear it every day.

Rose composed herself at his disgruntled expression, barring the errant snicker that escaped her. She looked up at him from where her head lay on his shoulder. “I can’t wait for you to meet Tony. You two will get along famously.”

“Yeah? What’s he like?”

“Oh, you know, drives mum up the walls, won’t sit still. One time, he went missing for ‘bout five hours, in the end, he was napping on top of a shelf in the pantry! Still no idea how he got up there. I didn’t spend as much time with him as I should’ve, thought it would’ve been easier on him that way. Guess I owe him a year’s worth of bedtime stories now.”

“That’s the mistake I did with you,” he said, subdued, “Kept my distance because it would be easier for both of us in the long run. But the truth is…”

“It was just as hard,” she finished. “But not anymore, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he muttered and kissed her.

It was unhurried and steady but just as exhilarating as a heated one would have been. The Doctor wished that kissing Rose would never lose its lustre. But when Rose carded her hand through his hair and nipped at his lips, trying to deepen the kiss, he had to reluctantly stop it.

“I need to take the breakfast things back, Pete should be here in ten minutes and you need to get dressed.”

“And you _just_ said you wouldn’t hold back anymore,” she scratched at his scalp.

“Rose,” he groaned, hating it as much as her.

She relented and stacked the crockery and cutlery onto the tray. “You better come back,” she pointed a finger at him.

“Wouldn’t dream of doing anything else.”

* * *

Jackie was waiting in the lobby when the Doctor exited the dining hall.

“Rose ready to set off?” she asked as he approached her.

“Yeah, I’m just about to fetch her.”

“C'mere you,” she beckoned him with open arms. He accepted the hug, squeezing tightly. “Rose was having a rough time, so I didn’t let on, but I missed you too. You gave me a new and better life with Pete and I never got to thank you for it,” she said sincerely.

He pulled back and smiled. “Well, I suppose you could repay the favour by letting me have a life with Rose here.”

She patted him on the cheek. “Come on, shift. We don’t want to be late.”

Hands in pockets, he walked back to the room. He’d never thought about it like that, he’d always been guilty that Jackie’s life in the other universe had been ripped apart just because he had been too caught up in the mystery to see Jackie had been essentially kidnapped.

But she was proof that as long as you are with the people you loved, you could always make a good life anywhere, he supposed.

Stepping into the room, the Doctor saw a clothed Rose looking around the room. Melancholically?

“What is it?” he said, alerting her to his presence.

“You’ll think I’m daft,” she shook her head.

Grasping her hands, he tugged her against him. “Rose Tyler, I could and would never.”

Cheeks a little pink, she played with his jacket’s lapels while she explained. “I almost don’t want to leave? This room is like a safe haven, just the two of us like it used to be, and I fear that if we step outside, that feeling will be shattered and won’t come back. It’s silly, I know.”

The Doctor smiled. Snaking an arm around her waist, he closed the distance between them, his other hand tipping up her head as his eyes bore into hers.

“Of course, that’s not silly. But Rose, don’t you see? It’s not the room, it’s _us_. This is nothing like the TARDIS console room - there’s no central column going ‘ _whoosh whoosh’,_ the constant hum, the grating beneath our feet - and yet you’ve made this room akin to home. For me, home is where you are, Rose Tyler, and I am so eager to start this new life. So, what do you say? Come with me?”

A beautiful smile broke out on her face, her eyes lighting up as his words echoed such a long time ago. “Yes,” she breathed.

He leaned down, his lips just shy of ghosting over hers.

“How long are you gonna stay with me?” he whispered.

“Forever.”

**Author's Note:**

> Oof, this fic is a lot of firsts for me. My longest. My first smut. _And_ the first Doctor Who fic I started to write.
> 
> As you can see, it is part of the series. It will have three instalments, the second one is already in the works. Expect it within the week.
> 
> Please do leave kudos and comments, no matter how inconsequential you may feel they are. I greatly enjoy them! And this is the [tumblr](https://super-powerful-queen-slayyna.tumblr.com/post/628001691176943616/you-didnt-even-regenerate) post if people want to reblog.
> 
> Thank you so much!!


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